The Side Lines
by CuddleMeCozy
Summary: One Shot. Canard is brooding over a missed opportunity but Duke talks to him and clears everything up.


I don't own the Mighty Ducks.

The Side Lines

Canard huffed as he watched them dancing from the bar. Ordering another drink he downed it quickly and turned around to look at the human's dancing and talking. No matter what he did his eyes always wandered back to her.

She wore a tight dress that clung to her like a second skin and her heels propped her up perfectly. The dress was a black silk that dipped low on her back, down to base of her spin. Giving a great view of her beautiful untouched feathers and skin, not to mention her shape. She danced on the floor with her partner, swaying her hips sensually to the beat. Tempting her partner to touch those hips and pull her close. She smiled up at the other drake, pressing herself into him while he wrapped his arms around her and moved his hands over her exposed back. His hands caressing those peach colors feathers, taking in the feel of her softness. _"No doubt enjoying the shit out of it."_ Canard thought grumpily as he watched the drakes white feathered hands move from her shoulders and down her back, very close to her butt. The beautiful red head, instead of pushing his hands away like Canard wanted her to, wrapped her arms around his neck and presented her throat to him. Her submission, saying that she gives herself to him.

Canard almost broke his glass seeing this. "Fuck." He growled.

"What's wrong?" Canard snapped his head to familiar Brooklyn accent. Duke was sitting next to him, watching him curiously. "Nothing." Canard grumbled ordering another drink. Duke looked back in the direction Canard had been glaring and spotted Wildwing and Mallory on the dance floor. Wildwing was nibbling at the feathers on Mallory's bared throat, showing that she had submitted to him. Wildwing nibbling at her feathers meant that he was claiming his victory over his chosen female and that tonight she would become his. Duke was happy for him. Wildwing had wanted Mallory for a long time but she wasn't an easy female to tame. She submitting to him also let him know that she was ready to give him what he desired. It was a huge step in courtship for ducks. In human terms it means that they are engaged.

Duke smiled at the couple on the dance floor, out of anybody on the team Wildwing deserved his happiness and being with Mallory would make him extremely happy. He had talked to Duke many times about it, asking for advise from an older duck.

Giving the couple their privacy Duke turned back to the bar to see Canard angrily downing more shoots. "Wow! Take it easy on those! The night is still young." Duke laughed.

"No the nights over." Canard stood a little clumsily. Duke stood up with him to make sure that he didn't fall over. "You okay? What happened?"

"Nothing and everything." Canard began making his way to the exit with Duke following close behind.

"Canard hold on. What's going on?" Duke asked putting his hand on Canard's shoulder. Canard stopped a moment and looked at Duke wondering if he should talk to him. Maybe it would help. "You can't tell anyone." Duke nodded.

"Let's go somewhere that others won't hear."

"Okay there's a private booth over here. The club is loud so no one will be able to hear what your saying unless they are sitting right next to us." They made their way over to the booth and sat across from each other. "Okay Canard. What's going on?"

Drumming his fingers on the table for a moment Canard tried to think of a way to say this without offending anyone. "It's Mallory and Wildwing."

"Their closeness bothers you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm jealous."

That surprised Duke. "Okay. Well are you jealous that your best friend is spending more time with Mallory and not you? Or are you jealous because you have some kind of affection for Mallory that nobody knew about?" Duke asked thinking that Canard was jealous cause his best friend was being taken from him. The Mallory part was a joke.

"I wanted Mallory." He said making Duke's jaw drop. "I wanted her the first day I saw her and I planned to make my move when things got settled but... then I was pulled into limbo. You guys found me a year and a half later and by then... it was too late. He had her. I could tell by the way she smelled when I came back. Wildwing's scent was almost completely intertwined with hers, practically embedded in her skin. I didn't know what to do at the time so I stayed quiet besides I was happy to see you guys again. Not to mention my best friend."

Duke listened quietly, not sure how to offer Canard comfort. He remembered the first time he had smelled Wildwing's scent on Mallory. It had been a shock. Male drakes noses were very sensitive and when two ducks were intimate, their smells intertwined with each others. That way other males knew if a female was already taken, this helped to avoid fights, unless you didn't listen to the scent mark. This was a normal thing for Puckworldian's. Males scent marked their females to ward off other males but once again this scent marking can only happen if they had sex.

"You know it's funny back on Puckworld girls flocked to me. I had all the dates and Wing was popular but he was usually the one on the side lines. Now the one girl that I really want, the one that I wanted to keep... has eyes only for him. Now I'm the one on the side lines." Canard spilled. Duke looked at him thinking him a little selfish but at the same time understanding his predicament. In the beginning Duke had been jealous of Wildwing's and Mallory's relationship too. She was one of two females on the team and she was very beautiful. Duke would have liked to date Mallory but she liked Wildwing so that was it. He was a little jealous but he wasn't going to hold a grudge against Wildwing like Canard seemed like he was.

"Listen Canard. Yeah it does suck that the woman that you wanted ended up with your best friend. I've been in that situation before but believe me holding a grudge isn't going to help. If anything it's gonna make it worse. She likes Wildwing. In the end she wouldn't have given her submission to you. So your gonna have to move on. I did."

Canard looked over at Duke surprised. "Huh so you too." Duke nodded.

Canard sighed and crossed his arms. "I guess your right. It's going to be hard though."

"Giving up the woman that you wanted to another is always hard." Duke said. "But in the end you'll be glad you did. Now I look at them and I'm actually happy for them. Wildwing deserves to be happy." Canard looked over at his best friend. Thinking about the times he saw Wildwing standing off to the side, lonely, while he had all the girls. Wildwing had confided in Canard many times how he wanted to find that perfect girl. The one who only wanted him, the one that he wanted to wake up next to everyday for the rest of his life, the one he wanted to start a family with. There had been plenty of girls that Wing liked that ended up liking him instead and at the time he had dated them, despite that fact that he knew Wing like them. But Wildwing was a great friend. He didn't hold it against him, he just shrugged and moved on, still supportive of Canard. Now here he and Wildwing were, the shoes on the others feet and Canard was angry instead of being supportive like Wing was. _"Damn. What kind of a friend am I?"_

"Your right Duke."

"I know. So what do ya say we grab some more drinks and a couple of dance partners?" Duke pointed to the group of girls watching them and giggling. They were human's but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy their company. Canard smirked at the girls making them giggle more. "Let's."

Getting up they made their way over to the group of girls. On his way over Canard watched his incredibly happy best friend being led away by Mallory, taken to some private corner of the club to become more intimate. Canard felt his chest constrict but then breathed in heavily. He could get over this, he had too. "Congratulations buddy, you deserve the best." With that he turned back to the group of girls and put on a big smile. "Ladies! Who wants a drink?" The girls cheered and some grabbed onto his arm. It was going to be a long night.


End file.
